H. Res. 354 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

September 25, 2013. 

Resolved, That upon the adoption of this resolution the 

House shall be considered to have taken from the Speaker’s 

table the bill, H.R. 527, with the Senate amendment thereto, 

and to have concurred in the Senate amendment with the following amendment: 

In lieu of the matter proposed to be inserted by the 

amendment of the Senate to the text of the bill, insert the 

following: 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Helium Stewardship Act 

of 2013’’. 

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

Section 2 of the Helium Act (50 U.S.C. 167) is amended 

to read as follows: 

‘‘SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

‘‘In this Act: 
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‘‘(1) CLIFFSIDE FIELD.—The term ‘Cliffside Field’ 

means the helium storage reservoir in which the Federal 

Helium Reserve is stored. 

‘‘(2) FEDERAL HELIUM PIPELINE.—The term ‘Federal Helium Pipeline’ means the federally owned pipeline 

system through which helium for the Federal Helium 

Reserve may be transported. 

‘‘(3) FEDERAL HELIUM RESERVE.—The term ‘Federal Helium Reserve’ means helium reserves owned by 

the United States. 

‘‘(4) FEDERAL HELIUM SYSTEM.—The term ‘Federal Helium System’ means— 

‘‘(A) the Federal Helium Reserve; 

‘‘(B) the Cliffside Field; 

‘‘(C) the Federal Helium Pipeline; and 

‘‘(D) all other infrastructure owned, leased, or 

managed under contract by the Secretary for the 

storage, transportation, withdrawal, enrichment, purification, or management of helium. 

‘‘(5) FEDERAL USER.—The term ‘Federal user’ 

means a Federal agency or extramural holder of one or 

more Federal research grants using helium. 

‘‘(6) LOW-BTU GAS.—The term ‘low-Btu gas’ means 

a fuel gas with a heating value of less than 250 Btu per 

standard cubic foot measured as the higher heating 
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value resulting from the inclusion of noncombustible 

gases, including nitrogen, helium, argon, and carbon dioxide. 

‘‘(7) PERSON.—The term ‘person’ means any individual, corporation, partnership, firm, association, trust, 

estate, public or private institution, or State or political 

subdivision. 

‘‘(8) PRIORITY PIPELINE ACCESS.—The term ‘priority pipeline access’ means the first priority of delivery 

of crude helium under which the Secretary schedules and 

ensures the delivery of crude helium to a helium refinery 

through the Federal Helium System. 

‘‘(9) QUALIFIED BIDDER.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘qualified bidder’ means a person the Secretary determines is 

seeking to purchase helium for their own use, refining, or redelivery to users. 

‘‘(B) EXCLUSION.—The term ‘qualified bidder’ 

does not include a person who was previously determined to be a qualified bidder if the Secretary determines that the person did not meet the requirements of a qualified bidder under this Act. 

‘‘(10) QUALIFYING DOMESTIC HELIUM TRANSACTION.—The term ‘qualifying domestic helium transaction’ means any agreement entered into or renegoti-
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ated agreement during the preceding 1-year period in 

the United States for the purchase or sale of at least 

15,000,000 standard cubic feet of crude or pure helium 

to which any holder of a contract with the Secretary for 

the acceptance, storage, delivery, or redelivery of crude 

helium from the Federal Helium System is a party. 

‘‘(11) REFINER.—The term ‘refiner’ means a person with the ability to take delivery of crude helium from 

the Federal Helium Pipeline and refine the crude helium 

into pure helium. 

‘‘(12) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ means 

the Secretary of the Interior.’’. 

SEC. 3. AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY. 

Section 3 of the Helium Act (50 U.S.C. 167a) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(c) EXTRACTION OF HELIUM FROM DEPOSITS ON

FEDERAL LAND.—All amounts received by the Secretary 

from the sale or disposition of helium on Federal land shall 

be credited to the Helium Production Fund established under 

section 6(e).’’. 

SEC. 4. STORAGE, WITHDRAWAL AND TRANSPORTATION. 

Section 5 of the Helium Act (50 U.S.C. 167c) is amended to read as follows: 
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‘‘SEC. 5. STORAGE, WITHDRAWAL AND TRANSPORTATION. 

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—If the Secretary provides helium 

storage, withdrawal, or transportation services to any person, 

the Secretary shall impose a fee on the person that accurately 

reflects the economic value of those services. 

‘‘(b) MINIMUM FEES.—The fees charged under subsection (a) shall be not less than the amount required to reimburse the Secretary for the full costs of providing storage, 

withdrawal, or transportation services, including capital investments in upgrades and maintenance at the Federal Helium System. 

‘‘(c) SCHEDULE OF FEES.—Prior to sale or auction 

under subsection (a), (b), or (c) of section 6, the Secretary 

shall annually publish a standardized schedule of fees that 

the Secretary will charge under this section. 

‘‘(d) TREATMENT.—All fees received by the Secretary 

under this section shall be credited to the Helium Production 

Fund established under section 6(e). 

‘‘(e) STORAGE AND DELIVERY.—In accordance with this 

section, the Secretary shall— 

‘‘(1) allow any person or qualified bidder to which 

crude helium is sold or auctioned under section 6 to 

store helium in the Federal Helium Reserve; and 

‘‘(2) establish a schedule for the transportation and 

delivery of helium using the Federal Helium System 

that— 
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‘‘(A) ensures timely delivery of helium auctioned pursuant to section 6(b)(2); 

‘‘(B) ensures timely delivery of helium acquired 

from the Secretary from the Federal Helium Reserve by means other than an auction under section 

6(b)(2), including nonallocated sales; and 

‘‘(C) provides priority access to the Federal 

Helium Pipeline for in-kind sales for Federal users. 

‘‘(f) NEW PIPELINE ACCESS.—The Secretary shall consider any applications for access to the Federal Helium Pipeline in a manner consistent with the schedule for phasing out 

commercial sales and disposition of assets pursuant to section 

6.’’. 

SEC. 5. SALE OF CRUDE HELIUM. 

Section 6 of the Helium Act (50 U.S.C. 167d) is amended to read as follows: 

‘‘SEC. 6. SALE OF CRUDE HELIUM. 

‘‘(a) PHASE A: ALLOCATION TRANSITION.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall offer crude 

helium for sale in such quantities, at such times, at not 

less than the minimum price established under subsection (b)(7), and under such terms and conditions as 

the Secretary determines necessary to carry out this subsection with minimum market disruption. 
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‘‘(2) FEDERAL PURCHASES.—Federal users may 

purchase refined helium with priority pipeline access 

under this subsection from persons who have entered 

into enforceable contracts to purchase an equivalent 

quantity of crude helium at the in-kind price from the 

Secretary. 

‘‘(3) DURATION.—This subsection applies during— 

‘‘(A) the period beginning on the date of enactment of the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013 and 

ending on September 30, 2014; and 

‘‘(B) any period during which the sale of helium under subsection (b) is delayed or suspended. 

‘‘(b) PHASE B: AUCTION IMPLEMENTATION.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall offer crude 

helium for sale in quantities not subject to auction under 

paragraph (2), after completion of each auction, at not 

less than the minimum price established under paragraph (7), and under such terms and conditions as the 

Secretary determines necessary— 

‘‘(A) to maximize total recovery of helium from 

the Federal Helium Reserve over the long term; 

‘‘(B) to maximize the total financial return to 

the taxpayer; 
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‘‘(C) to manage crude helium sales according 

to the ability of the Secretary to extract and 

produce helium from the Federal Helium Reserve; 

‘‘(D) to give priority to meeting the helium demand of Federal users in the event of any disruption to the Federal Helium Reserve; and 

‘‘(E) to carry out this subsection with minimum market disruption. 

‘‘(2) AUCTION QUANTITIES.—For the period described in paragraph (4) and consistent with the conditions described in paragraph (8), the Secretary shall annually auction to any qualified bidder a quantity of 

crude helium in the Federal Helium Reserve equal to— 

‘‘(A) for fiscal year 2015, 10 percent of the 

total volume of crude helium made available for 

that fiscal year; 

‘‘(B) for each of fiscal years 2016 through 

2019, a percentage of the total volume of crude helium that is 15 percentage points greater than the 

percentage made available for the previous fiscal 

year; and 

‘‘(C) for fiscal year 2020 and each fiscal year 

thereafter, 100 percent of the total volume of crude 

helium made available for that fiscal year. 
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‘‘(3) FEDERAL PURCHASES.—Federal users may 

purchase refined helium with priority pipeline access 

under this subsection from persons who have entered 

into enforceable contracts to purchase an equivalent 

quantity of crude helium at the in-kind price from the 

Secretary. 

‘‘(4) DURATION.—This subsection applies during 

the period— 

‘‘(A) beginning on October 1, 2014; and 

‘‘(B) ending on the date on which the volume 

of recoverable crude helium at the Federal Helium 

Reserve (other than privately owned quantities of 

crude helium stored temporarily at the Federal Helium Reserve under section 5 and this section) is 

3,000,000,000 standard cubic feet. 

‘‘(5) SAFETY VALVE.—The Secretary may adjust 

the quantities specified in paragraph (2)— 

‘‘(A) downward, if the Secretary determines 

the adjustment necessary— 

‘‘(i) to minimize market disruptions that 

pose a threat to the economic well-being of the 

United States; and 

‘‘(ii) only after submitting a written justification of the adjustment to the Committee 

on Energy and Natural Resources of the Sen-
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ate and the Committee on Natural Resources 

of the House of Representatives; or 

‘‘(B) upward, if the Secretary determines the 

adjustment necessary to increase participation in 

crude helium auctions or returns to the taxpayer. 

‘‘(6) AUCTION FORMAT.—The Secretary shall conduct each auction using a method that maximizes revenue to the Federal Government. 

‘‘(7) PRICES.—The Secretary shall annually establish, as applicable, separate sale and minimum auction 

prices under subsection (a)(1) and paragraphs (1) and 

(2) using, if applicable and in the following order of priority: 

‘‘(A) The sale price of crude helium in auctions 

held by the Secretary under paragraph (2). 

‘‘(B) Price recommendations and disaggregated 

data from a qualified, independent third party who 

has no conflict of interest, who shall conduct a confidential survey of qualifying domestic helium transactions. 

‘‘(C) The volume-weighted average price of all 

crude helium and pure helium purchased, sold, or 

processed by persons in all qualifying domestic helium transactions. 
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‘‘(D) The volume-weighted average cost of converting gaseous crude helium into pure helium. 

‘‘(8) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall require all persons that are parties to a contract with 

the Secretary for the withdrawal, acceptance, storage, transportation, delivery, or redelivery of crude 

helium to disclose, on a strictly confidential basis— 

‘‘(i) the volumes and associated prices in 

dollars per thousand cubic feet of all crude and 

pure helium purchased, sold, or processed by 

persons in qualifying domestic helium transactions; 

‘‘(ii) the volumes and associated costs in 

dollars per thousand cubic feet of converting 

crude helium into pure helium; and 

‘‘(iii) refinery capacity and future capacity 

estimates. 

‘‘(B) CONDITION.—As a condition of sale or 

auction to a refiner under subsection (a)(1) and 

paragraphs (1) and (2), effective beginning 90 days 

after the date of enactment of the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013, the refiner shall make excess refining capacity of helium available at commercially 

reasonable rates to— 
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‘‘(i) any person prevailing in auctions 

under paragraph (2); and 

‘‘(ii) any person that has acquired crude 

helium from the Secretary from the Federal 

Helium Reserve by means other than an auction under paragraph (2) after the date of enactment of the Helium Stewardship Act of 

2013, including nonallocated sales. 

‘‘(9) USE OF INFORMATION.—The Secretary may 

use the information collected under this Act— 

‘‘(A) to approximate crude helium prices; and 

‘‘(B) to ensure the recovery of fair value for 

the taxpayers of the United States from sales of 

crude helium. 

‘‘(10) PROTECTION OF CONFIDENTIALITY.—The 

Secretary shall adopt such administrative policies and 

procedures as the Secretary considers necessary and reasonable to ensure the confidentiality of information submitted pursuant to this Act. 

‘‘(11) FORWARD AUCTIONS.—Effective beginning in 

fiscal year 2016, the Secretary may conduct a forward 

auction once each fiscal year of a quantity of helium that 

is equal to up to 10 percent of the volume of crude helium to be made available at auction during the following 
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fiscal year if the Secretary determines that the forward 

auction will— 

‘‘(A) not cause a disruption in the supply of 

helium from the Reserve; 

‘‘(B) represent a cost-effective action; 

‘‘(C) generate greater returns for taxpayers; 

and 

‘‘(D) increase the effectiveness of price discovery. 

‘‘(12) SALE SCHEDULE AND FREQUENCY.—For fiscal year 2015 the Secretary shall conduct only one auction, which shall precede, and one sale, which shall take 

place no later than August 1, 2014, with full and final 

payment for the sale being made no later than September 26, 2014. Consistent with the annual volumes established under paragraph (2), effective beginning in fiscal year 2016, the Secretary may conduct auctions twice 

during each fiscal year if the Secretary determines that 

the auction frequency will— 

‘‘(A) not cause a disruption in the supply of 

helium from the Reserve; 

‘‘(B) represent a cost-effective action; 

‘‘(C) generate greater returns for taxpayers; 

and 
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‘‘(D) increase the effectiveness of price discovery. 

‘‘(13) ONE-TIME SALE.— 

‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding paragraph (4)(A), the Secretary shall hold a one-time 

sale of helium, no later than August 1, 2014 from 

amounts available in fiscal year 2016 pursuant to 

this section. Full and final payment for the sale 

must be made no later than 45 days after the date 

the sale takes place. 

‘‘(B) VOLUME SOLD.—The volume of helium 

sold under this paragraph— 

‘‘(i) shall be at least 250 million cubic 

feet; and 

‘‘(ii) shall be made available for sale consistent with paragraph (2)(B). 

‘‘(c) PHASE C: CONTINUED ACCESS FOR FEDERAL

USERS.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall offer crude 

helium for sale to Federal users in such quantities, at 

such times, at such prices required to reimburse the Secretary for the full costs of the sales, and under such 

terms and conditions as the Secretary determines necessary to carry out this subsection. 
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‘‘(2) FEDERAL PURCHASES.—Federal users may 

purchase refined helium with priority pipeline access 

under this subsection from persons who have entered 

into enforceable contracts to purchase an equivalent 

quantity of crude helium at the in-kind price from the 

Secretary. 

‘‘(3) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This subsection applies 

beginning on the day after the date described in subsection (b)(4)(B). 

‘‘(d) PHASE D: DISPOSAL OF ASSETS.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not earlier than 2 years after 

the date of commencement of Phase C described in subsection (c) and not later than September 30, 2021, the 

Secretary shall designate as excess property and dispose 

of all facilities, equipment, and other real and personal 

property, and all interests in the same, held by the 

United States in the Federal Helium System. 

‘‘(2) APPLICABLE LAW.—The disposal of the property described in paragraph (1) shall be in accordance 

with subtitle I of title 40, United States Code. 

‘‘(3) PROCEEDS.—All proceeds accruing to the 

United States by reason of the sale or other disposal of 

the property described in paragraph (1) shall be treated 

as funds received under this Act for purposes of subsection (e). 
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‘‘(4) COSTS.—All costs associated with the sale and 

disposal (including costs associated with termination of 

personnel) and with the cessation of activities under this 

subsection shall be paid from amounts available in the 

Helium Production Fund established under subsection 

(e). 

‘‘(e) HELIUM PRODUCTION FUND.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—All amounts received under this 

Act, including amounts from the sale or auction of crude 

helium, shall be credited to the Helium Production 

Fund, which shall be available without fiscal year limitation for purposes determined to be necessary and cost effective by the Secretary to carry out this Act (other than 

sections 16, 17, and 18), including capital investments 

in upgrades and maintenance at the Federal Helium 

System, including— 

‘‘(A) well head maintenance at the Cliffside 

Field; 

‘‘(B) capital investments in maintenance and 

upgrades of facilities that pressurize the Cliffside 

Field; 

‘‘(C) capital investments in maintenance and 

upgrades of equipment related to the storage, withdrawal, enrichment, transportation, purification, 
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and sale of crude helium from the Federal Helium 

Reserve; 

‘‘(D) entering into purchase, lease, or other 

agreements to drill new or uncap existing wells to 

maximize the recovery of crude helium from the 

Federal Helium System; and 

‘‘(E) any other scheduled or unscheduled maintenance of the Federal Helium System. 

‘‘(2) EXCESS FUNDS.—Amounts in the Helium Production Fund in excess of amounts the Secretary determines to be necessary to carry out paragraph (1) shall 

be paid to the general fund of the Treasury and used to 

reduce the annual Federal budget deficit. 

‘‘(3) RETIREMENT OF PUBLIC DEBT.—Out of 

amounts paid to the general fund of the Treasury under 

paragraph (2), the Secretary of the Treasury shall use 

$51,000,000 to retire public debt. 

‘‘(4) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

of enactment of the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013 

and annually thereafter, the Secretary of the Interior 

shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural 

Resources of the House of Representatives a report describing all expenditures by the Bureau of Land Management to carry out this Act. 
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‘‘(f) MINIMUM QUANTITY.—The Secretary shall offer for 

sale or auction during each fiscal year under subsections (a), 

(b), and (c) a quantity of crude helium that is the lesser of— 

‘‘(1) the quantity of crude helium offered for sale 

by the Secretary during fiscal year 2012; or 

‘‘(2) the maximum total production capacity of the 

Federal Helium System.’’. 

SEC. 6. INFORMATION, ASSESSMENT, RESEARCH, AND STRATEGY. 

The Helium Act (50 U.S.C. 167 et seq.) is amended— 

(1) by repealing section 15 (50 U.S.C. 167m); 

(2) by redesignating section 17 (50 U.S.C. 167 

note) as section 20; and 

(3) by inserting after section 14 (50 U.S.C. 167l) 

the following: 

‘‘SEC. 15. INFORMATION. 

‘‘(a) TRANSPARENCY.—The Secretary, acting through 

the Bureau of Land Management, shall make available on the 

Internet information relating to the Federal Helium System 

that includes— 

‘‘(1) continued publication of an open market and 

in-kind price; 

‘‘(2) aggregated projections of excess refining capacity; 
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‘‘(3) ownership of helium held in the Federal Helium Reserve; 

‘‘(4) the volume of helium delivered to persons 

through the Federal Helium Pipeline; 

‘‘(5) pressure constraints of the Federal Helium 

Pipeline; 

‘‘(6) an estimate of the projected date when 

3,000,000,000 standard cubic feet of crude helium will 

remain in the Federal Helium Reserve and the final 

phase described in section 6(c) will begin; 

‘‘(7) the amount of the fees charged under section 

5; 

‘‘(8) the scheduling of crude helium deliveries 

through the Federal Helium Pipeline; and 

‘‘(9) other factors that will increase transparency. 

‘‘(b) REPORTING.—Not later than 90 days after the date 

of enactment of the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013, to provide the market with appropriate and timely information affecting the helium resource, the Director of the Bureau of 

Land Management shall establish a timely and public reporting process to provide data that affects the helium industry, 

including— 

‘‘(1) annual maintenance schedules and quarterly 

updates, that shall include— 
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‘‘(A) the date and duration of planned shutdowns of the Federal Helium Pipeline; 

‘‘(B) the nature of work to be undertaken on 

the Federal Helium System, whether routine, extended, or extraordinary; 

‘‘(C) the anticipated impact of the work on the 

helium supply; 

‘‘(D) the efforts being made to minimize any 

impact on the supply chain; and 

‘‘(E) any concerns regarding maintenance of 

the Federal Helium Pipeline, including the pressure 

of the pipeline or deviation from normal operation 

of the pipeline; 

‘‘(2) for each unplanned outage, a description of— 

‘‘(A) the beginning of the outage; 

‘‘(B) the expected duration of the outage; 

‘‘(C) the nature of the problem; 

‘‘(D) the estimated impact on helium supply; 

‘‘(E) a plan to correct problems, including an 

estimate of the potential timeframe for correction 

and the likelihood of plan success within the timeframe; 

‘‘(F) efforts to minimize negative impacts on 

the helium supply chain; and 
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‘‘(G) updates on repair status and the anticipated online date; 

‘‘(3) monthly summaries of meetings and communications between the Bureau of Land Management and 

the Cliffside Refiners Limited Partnership, including a 

list of participants and an indication of any actions 

taken as a result of the meetings or communications; 

and 

‘‘(4) current predictions of the lifespan of the Federal Helium System, including how much longer the 

crude helium supply will be available based on current 

and forecasted demand and the projected maximum production capacity of the Federal Helium System for the 

following fiscal year. 

‘‘SEC. 16. HELIUM GAS RESOURCE ASSESSMENT. 

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after the 

date of enactment of the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013, 

the Secretary, acting through the Director of the United 

States Geological Survey, shall— 

‘‘(1) in coordination with appropriate heads of State 

geological surveys— 

‘‘(A) complete a national helium gas assessment that identifies and quantifies the quantity of 

helium, including the isotope helium-3, in each reservoir, including assessments of the constituent 
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gases found in each helium resource, such as carbon 

dioxide, nitrogen, and natural gas; and 

‘‘(B) make available the modern seismic and 

geophysical log data for characterization of the 

Bush Dome Reservoir; 

‘‘(2) in coordination with appropriate international 

agencies and the global geology community, complete a 

global helium gas assessment that identifies and quantifies the quantity of the helium, including the isotope 

helium-3, in each reservoir; 

‘‘(3) in coordination with the Secretary of Energy, 

acting through the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration, complete— 

‘‘(A) an assessment of trends in global demand 

for helium, including the isotope helium-3; 

‘‘(B) a 10-year forecast of domestic demand 

for helium across all sectors, including scientific and 

medical research, commercial, manufacturing, space 

technologies, cryogenics, and national defense; and 

‘‘(C) an inventory of medical, scientific, industrial, commercial, and other uses of helium in the 

United States, including Federal uses, that identifies the nature of the helium use, the amounts required, the technical and commercial viability of helium recapture and recycling in that use, and the 
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availability of material substitutes wherever possible; and 

‘‘(4) submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives a report 

describing the results of the assessments required under 

this paragraph. 

‘‘(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

$1,000,000. 

‘‘SEC. 17. LOW-BTU GAS SEPARATION AND HELIUM CONSERVATION. 

‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary of Energy shall 

support programs of research, development, commercial application, and conservation (including the programs described in 

subsection (b))— 

‘‘(1) to expand the domestic production of low-Btu 

gas and helium resources; 

‘‘(2) to separate and capture helium from natural 

gas streams; and 

‘‘(3) to reduce the venting of helium and heliumbearing low-Btu gas during natural gas exploration and 

production. 

‘‘(b) PROGRAMS.— 
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‘‘(1) MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH.—The 

Secretary of Energy, in consultation with other appropriate agencies, shall support a civilian research program 

to develop advanced membrane technology that is used 

in the separation of low-Btu gases, including technologies that remove helium and other constituent gases 

that lower the Btu content of natural gas. 

‘‘(2) HELIUM SEPARATION TECHNOLOGY.—The 

Secretary of Energy shall support a research program to 

develop technologies for separating, gathering, and processing helium in low concentrations that occur naturally 

in geological reservoirs or formations, including— 

‘‘(A) low-Btu gas production streams; and 

‘‘(B) technologies that minimize the atmospheric venting of helium gas during natural gas 

production. 

‘‘(3) INDUSTRIAL HELIUM PROGRAM.—The Secretary of Energy, working through the Advanced Manufacturing Office of the Department of Energy, shall 

carry out a research program— 

‘‘(A) to develop low-cost technologies and technology systems for recycling, reprocessing, and 

reusing helium for all medical, scientific, industrial, 

commercial, aerospace, and other uses of helium in 

the United States, including Federal uses; and 
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‘‘(B) to develop industrial gathering technologies to capture helium from other chemical 

processing, including ammonia processing. 

‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

$3,000,000. 

‘‘SEC. 18. HELIUM-3 SEPARATION. 

‘‘(a) INTERAGENCY COOPERATION.—The Secretary shall 

cooperate with the Secretary of Energy, or a designee, on any 

assessment or research relating to the extraction and refining 

of the isotope helium-3 from crude helium and other potential 

sources, including— 

‘‘(1) gas analysis; and 

‘‘(2) infrastructure studies. 

‘‘(b) FEASIBILITY STUDY.—The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, or a designee, may carry 

out a study to assess the feasibility of— 

‘‘(1) establishing a facility to separate the isotope 

helium-3 from crude helium; and 

‘‘(2) exploring other potential sources of the isotope 

helium-3. 

‘‘(c) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date of 

enactment of the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Re-
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sources of the House of Representatives a report that contains a description of the results of the assessments conducted under this section. 

‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

$1,000,000. 

‘‘SEC. 19. FEDERAL AGENCY HELIUM ACQUISITION STRATEGY. 

‘‘In anticipation of the implementation of Phase D described in section 6(d), and not later than 2 years after the 

date of enactment of the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013, 

the Secretary (in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, 

the Secretary of Defense, the Director of the National 

Science Foundation, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Director of the National Institutes of Health, and other agencies as appropriate) shall submit to Congress a report that provides for 

Federal users— 

‘‘(1) an assessment of the consumption of, and projected demand for, crude and refined helium; 

‘‘(2) a description of a 20-year Federal strategy for 

securing access to helium; 

‘‘(3) a determination of a date prior to September 

30, 2021, for the implementation of Phase D as described in section 6(d) that minimizes any potential supply disruptions for Federal users; 
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‘‘(4) an assessment of the effects of increases in the 

price of refined helium and methods and policies for 

mitigating any determined effects; and 

‘‘(5) a description of a process for prioritization of 

uses that accounts for diminished availability of helium 

supplies that may occur over time.’’. 

SEC. 7. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 

(a) Section 4 of the Helium Act (50 U.S.C. 167b) is 

amended by striking ‘‘section 6(f)’’ each place it appears in 

subsections (c)(3), (c)(4), and (d)(2) and inserting ‘‘section 

6(e)’’. 

(b) Section 8 of the Helium Act (50 U.S.C. 167f) is repealed. 

SEC. 8. EXISTING AGREEMENTS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—This Act and the amendments made 

by this Act shall not affect or diminish the rights and obligations of the Secretary of the Interior and private parties 

under agreements in existence on the date of enactment of 

this Act, except to the extent that the agreements are renewed or extended after that date. 

(b) DELIVERY.—No agreement described in subsection 

(a) shall affect or diminish the right of any party that purchases helium after the date of enactment of this Act in accordance with section 6 of the Helium Act (50 U.S.C. 167d) 

(as amended by section 5) to receive delivery of the helium 
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in accordance with section 5(e)(2) of the Helium Act (50 

U.S.C. 167c(e)(2)) (as amended by section 4). 

SEC. 9. REGULATIONS. 

The Secretary of the Interior shall promulgate such regulations as are necessary to carry out this Act and the 

amendments made by this Act, including regulations necessary to prevent unfair acts and practices. 

SEC. 10. AMENDMENTS TO OTHER LAWS. 

(a) SECURE RURAL SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY SELF

DETERMINATION PROGRAM.— 

(1) SECURE PAYMENTS FOR STATES AND COUNTIES

CONTAINING FEDERAL LAND.— 

(A) AVAILABILITY OF PAYMENTS.—Section 

101 of the Secure Rural Schools and Community 

Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7111) is 

amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ each place it appears 

and inserting ‘‘2013’’. 

(B) ELECTIONS.—Section 102(b) of the Secure 

Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination 

Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7112(b)) is amended— 

(i) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking 

‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2013’’; and 

(ii) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking 

‘‘2012’’ each place it appears and inserting 

‘‘2013’’. 
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(C) DISTRIBUTION OF PAYMENTS TO ELIGIBLE

COUNTIES.—Section 103(d)(2) of the Secure Rural 

Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 

2000 (16 U.S.C. 7113(d)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘and 2012’’ and inserting ‘‘through 2013’’. 

(2) CONTINUATION OF AUTHORITY TO CONDUCT

SPECIAL PROJECTS ON FEDERAL LAND.—Title II of the 

Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 is amended— 

(A) in section 203(a)(1) (16 U.S.C. 

7123(a)(1)), by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting 

‘‘2013’’; 

(B) in section 204(e)(3)(B)(iii) (16 U.S.C. 

7124(e)(3)(B)(iii)), by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2013’’; 

(C) in section 205(a)(4) (16 U.S.C. 

7125(a)(4)), by striking ‘‘2011’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘2012’’; 

(D) in section 207(a) (16 U.S.C. 7127(a)), by 

striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2013’’; and 

(E) in section 208 (16 U.S.C. 7128)— 

(i) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘2012’’ 

and inserting ‘‘2013’’; and 

(ii) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘2013’’ 

and inserting ‘‘2014’’. 
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(3) CONTINUATION OF AUTHORITY TO RESERVE

AND USE COUNTY FUNDS.—Section 304 of the Secure 

Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 

2000 (16 U.S.C. 7144) is amended— 

(A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘2012’’ and 

inserting ‘‘2013’’; and 

(B) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘2013’’ and 

inserting ‘‘2014’’. 

(4) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 

402 of the Secure Rural Schools and Community SelfDetermination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7152) is amended 

by striking ‘‘2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2013’’. 

(b) ABANDONED WELL REMEDIATION.—Section 349 of 

the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15907) is amended 

by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(i) FEDERALLY DRILLED WELLS.—Out of any 

amounts in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, 

$10,000,000 for fiscal year 2014, $36,000,000 for fiscal year 

2015, and $4,000,000 for fiscal year 2019 shall be made 

available to the Secretary, without further appropriation and 

to remain available until expended, to remediate, reclaim, and 

close abandoned oil and gas wells on current or former National Petroleum Reserve land.’’. 

(c) NATIONAL PARKS MAINTENANCE BACKLOG.—Section 814(g) of the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Manage-
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ment Act of 1996 (16 U.S.C. 1f) is amended by adding at 

the end the following: 

‘‘(4) AVAILABLE FUNDS.—Out of any amounts in 

the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $20,000,000 

shall be made available to the Secretary of the Interior 

for fiscal year 2018, and $30,000,000 shall be made 

available to the Secretary of the Interior for fiscal year 

2019, without further appropriation and to remain available until expended, to pay the Federal funding share of 

challenge cost-share agreements for deferred maintenance projects and to correct deficiencies in National 

Park Service infrastructure. 

‘‘(5) COST-SHARE REQUIREMENT.—Not less than 

50 percent of the total cost of project for funds made 

available under paragraph (4) to pay the Federal funding share shall be derived from non-Federal sources, including in-kind contribution of goods and services fairly 

valued.’’. 

(d) ABANDONED MINE RECLAMATION FUND.—Section 

411(h) of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act 

of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1240a(h)) is amended by adding at the 

end the following: 

‘‘(6) SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING.— 

‘‘(A) WAIVER OF LIMITATION.—Notwithstanding paragraph (5), the limitation on the total 
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annual payments to a certified State or Indian tribe 

under this subsection shall not apply for fiscal years 

2014 and 2015. 

‘‘(B) LIMITATION ON WAIVER.—Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), the total annual payment to a certified State or Indian tribe under this 

subsection for fiscal year 2014 shall not be more 

than $28,000,000 and for fiscal year 2015 shall not 

be more than $75,000,000. 

‘‘(C) INSUFFICIENT AMOUNTS.—If the total 

annual payment to a certified State or Indian tribe 

under paragraphs (1) and (2) is limited by subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall— 

‘‘(i) give priority to making payments 

under paragraph (2); and 

‘‘(ii) use any remaining funds to make 

payments under paragraph (1).’’. 

(e) SODA ASH ROYALTIES.—Notwithstanding section 24 

of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 262) and the terms 

of any lease under that Act, the royalty rate on the quantity 

of gross value of the output of sodium compounds and related 

products at the point of shipment to market from Federal 

land in the 2-year period beginning on the date of enactment 

of this Act shall be 4 percent. 
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(f) AUTHORIZATION OFFSET.—Section 207(c) of the 

Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 

17022(c)) is amended by inserting before the period at the 

end the following: ‘‘, except that the amount authorized to be 

appropriated to carry out this section not appropriated as of 

the date of enactment of the Helium Stewardship Act of 

2013 shall be reduced by $6,000,000’’. 

Attest: 

Clerk.